JESUS WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OUT

A group of boys set out to play a game of football in the school yard. They all got together, and as they usually would, the two most influential of the group started picking players for their sides. They whittled down the lot till there was one boy left, a short, pudgy fellow, whom neither of them wanted. So he was left out.

Familiar story, isn’t it? In fact, several famous football stars started their ‘careers’ in much a similar fashion. But this phenomenon of being left out, passed over and side lined never really goes away, does it? Even when we get older, it rears its ugly head when we get passed over for promotion, or overlooked by the one who tugged our heartstrings. And soon enough, after it happens a few times, we think that our Father is going to be the next one to pass us over and leave us out. But beloved, that could not be further from the truth. You see,

“God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 [MSG]

Now, the reason why none of us who believe will ever be left out is because we did actually get ‘passed over’ by our Father; but not in the way that we think.

“Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.” Isaiah 53:4-5 [AMPC]

When we sin, each and every time we sin, we chalk up punishment for ourselves. The message, Cold Brew, Hot Brew, Choose Jesus Brew, gives us some idea of what punishment those sins entails. But we got passed over for all those punishment; past, present and future; and they all fell on Jesus, just like it was during the times of Israel in Egypt, when God visited the Egyptians with the final plague.

“For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you.” Exodus 12:23 [NASB]

So because of that sacrifice by Jesus on the cross,

“…now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,” Ephesians 2:13-14

We are now pleasing to our Father, right in our Father’s eyes, because,

“He who did not spare His own son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him, also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32

It’s simple, really. Because Jesus bore our sins, our shame, our guilt, our Father has nothing to be angry with us about anymore, and that is why He is able to say,

“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Hebrews 10:17

“For this is like the waters of Noah to Me;For as I have swornThat the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth,So have I swornThat I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.For the mountains shall departAnd the hills be removed,But My kindness shall not depart from you,Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.” Isaiah 54:9-10

That is why the Psalmist can say,

“He has not dealt with us according to our sins,Nor punished us according to our iniquities.For as the heavens are high above the earth,So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;As far as the east is from the west,So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:10-12

So we shall never be left out from His love, His care and His provision ever; and beloved, Jesus came to bring a whole lot of love, care and provision, for He said,

“I come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

But sometimes we still feel a little like Zacchaeus,

“Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” Luke 19:1-4

We are ‘short’, perhaps short on faith, and ‘unloved’, perhaps because our jobs or circumstance has made us unpopular with those around; and though we ‘climb trees’ just to catch a glimpse of Jesus through our service in church or giving to the poor, the ‘crowd’ is often too large for us to have any hope of even having Him catch sight of us from the corner of His eye. Well beloved, remember that in Zacchaeus’ case,

“…when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”” Luke 19:5

So too will Jesus pause just for us, call out to us by name and stay with us. For remember that He said,

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20

And beloved, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever;” Hebrews 13:8

But other times we think that Jesus has got far too many other important things to take care of, that He cannot possibly have time to ever sort out our problems, well beloved, perhaps He is busy doing something else right at this moment, but remember this incident?

“Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.” Matthew 15:21-28 [NLT]

Jesus’ original plan was to come for Israel. True. But He still had time for the lady who had faith. What more now? After all, Jesus said,

“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:16

If we consider Israel to be of ‘this fold’, then we must be those who are ‘not of this fold’. And because we have believed in Jesus and His love, He will never leave us out for we are now our Father’s beloved children,

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13

So beloved, be like Zacchaeus,

“…he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” Luke 19:6

For when you do, you will be filled with such an overwhelming sense of being loved, cared for and blessed that you will be able to say,

“Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” Luke 19:8

Beloved, Jesus will never leave you out because He has no reason to.

And my friend, if you have never experienced the love of our Father, never known of His care and provision, and would like never to be left out ever again from His love, His protection and His provision, you can. His invitation is not closed,

“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

And if you want to take this step of faith right now and let Jesus into your heart and make right your life, then say this to Him.

“Jesus, thank You for calling out to me and drawing me to You. I would not have been able to come if not because You drew me to You first. Thank You Jesus for being my Passover and bearing all my guilt and shame, the punishment of all my sins that were rightfully mine, so that I can be right with You and our Father right now. Thank You for Your blood shed to give me full remission of sins, now and always. Thank You that by Your sacrifice, I am made forever righteous in You. Because of this, I know that I will never ever be left out from Your love, Your care and Your provision. I know that I will never be passed over from the abundant life that You came to bring me. And I receive all those blessings now. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Beloved child of God, your days of being left out and left behind are over. The world may miss out on you, but our Father never misses anything, especially you.